A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 179: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BY GRACE OF GOD, KING OF FRANCE, 175 A smile of satisfaction played for a moment about Catherine's cruel lips. “Then you will do your duty?” she asked calmly, knowing that the victory was won. “Act without me! Do as you please!” was the weak and weary response. “And you will not interfere?” “No! no!” “On your kingly honor?” “On my kingly honor.” And there was just a touch of self-contempt in the words. “You hear, your grace,” said Catharine, addressing the duchess. “Your plea is granted. Yourson’s mur- derer dies at daybreak.” A low cry of fierce delight broke from Madame de Bassompierre. She kissed the hands of the king and the queen-mother, and, after a low reverence to the Queen of Navarre, staggered rather than walked from the apartment, as one drunken with joy. After a commanding glance at her son, and a whis- pered “ Remember!” Catherine followed her. Sad and sorrowful, Marguerite would have done the same, but a low “Margot!” brought her back to the king’s side. There was no anger, but only pity in the look she fixed upon her brother’s face. Charles caught her:hand, and raised his eyes with abject pleading, as if ashamed of his weakness. “Forgive me! forgive me!” he murmured. And then added, with ashort laugh: “By the grace of God, King of France! No! By the grace of our mother, Margot, by the grace of our mother!” Comichoo S (C@)